Volume Three: Southern Expedition and Territorial Expansion Chapter 145: Usurping the Power of Appointment

Yielding Ganzhou? Zhong Chuan of the Zhennan Army merely controls Jiangzhou, Raozhou, and Hongzhou, while other prefectures have their own respective lords. My pursuit of peace is simply to prevent an alliance among the Zhennan, E-Yue, and Jingnan armies, buying myself time to stabilize and govern the Dongting Lake Plain," Wei Fufeng said casually.

"Li Zhang did contribute after all. If not for merit, he at least endured hardship," Lin Qingxue murmured softly.

"I will appoint him as the Prefect of Langzhou, and transfer Zhang Wencheng to be the Prefect of Tanzhou.

Tian Wen will serve as the Military Defense Commissioner of Wuling, overseeing the military affairs of Yanzhou, Langzhou, Chenzhou, and Xizhou.

Gan Fengchi will serve as the Military Defense Commissioner of Xiangtan, overseeing the military affairs of Tanzhou and Shaozhou.

Zhao Yidou will serve as the Military Defense Commissioner of Wujiang, overseeing the military affairs of Fuzhou, Shizhou, and Qianzhou," Wei Fufeng stated.

Lin Qingxue nodded. Wei Fufeng continued, "The Military Defense Commissioners I mentioned will only hold overall military command and deployment authority. The actual unit commanders will remain in charge; they will not hold financial power or direct personal troops, nor will they concurrently serve as prefects."

"Such appointments might breed resentment among the generals and commanders," Lin Qingxue worriedly remarked.

"Resentment is not to be feared; what is to be feared is ambition. Bestowing military, administrative, and financial power all at once inevitably creates an uncontrollable monster, nurturing a tiger that will eventually turn on its master," Wei Fufeng said solemnly.

Lin Qingxue nodded, and Wei Fufeng smiled again, saying, "However, we should still save face for them. I will use the imperial court's name to grant them fourth-rank general military titles, along with a doubled salary."

"Granting general titles—if the imperial court finds out, will they issue a reprimand and declare it null and void? After all, usurping the authority of the imperial court is tantamount to rebellion," Lin Qingxue worriedly asked.

The Tang imperial court was left with little more than the power to confer official posts. Although regional warlords割据 (divided and ruled), they typically only appointed themselves to military posts, such as military commissioners or garrison generals, which were not orthodox imperial titles.

When it came to high-ranking civil and military positions, regional warlords and powerful figures strived to gain the recognition of the imperial court, seeking titles such as Prefect, Military Governor (Jiedushi), Observation Commissioner, or Defense Commissioner.

Hearing this, Wei Fufeng nodded. He had indeed been taking the imperial court too lightly, growing accustomed to making appointments at will in southern Sichuan. If he truly provoked the bottom line of the imperial court, they might retaliate by stripping him of his Jiedushi title.

Almost all regional domains across the realm valued the moral high ground of imperial legitimacy and were reluctant to become labeled as rebellious traitors.

The prefectures Wei Fufeng appointed in southern Sichuan were located in remote and distant frontier barbarian lands, so even if the imperial court heard of them, the reaction was minimal.

Tanzhou, however, was a historically rich and culturally significant land. If he used the title of the Jiedushi of Southern Sichuan to appoint prefects and military defense commissioners there, it would likely provoke a fierce imperial counterattack.

Wei Fufeng needed his rule to strike deep roots in the hearts of the people, yet he was unwilling to petition the imperial court for official appointments to those prefectures and defense commissioner posts.

After pondering for a moment, Wei Fufeng asked, "Elder Sister, is the Princess's official seal still here?"

"The seal was not lost; the Princess left it in her study. The raiders only abducted her and took the valuables from her chambers," Lin Qingxue replied.

"Good. I plan to use the Princess's name to petition for the establishment of the Yelang Protectorate General. Under the pretext that the barbarians are fickle and untrustworthy, and in order to divide and deter them, we will petition for the establishment of a Grand Protectorate General to oversee the barbarian territories, while requesting the authority to make appointments on the spot. The Protectorate General will then appoint the prefects and military defense commissioners in the Tanzhou region," Wei Fufeng explained.

Lin Qingxue said, "My lord, Tanzhou is not barbarian territory."

Wei Fufeng smiled and replied, "As long as there are dwelling populations of Liao people, it is barbarian territory. This is merely a self-deceptive trick. Once we fool the imperial court into recognizing the Grand Protectorate General, they will mostly acquiesce afterward. The imperial court's primary focus is on Hedong, the Fengxiang Army, the Central Plains, and Jianghuai; they will not pay close attention to Tanzhou."

Lin Qingxue nodded. Wei Fufeng reached out, took her jade-like hand, and said tenderly, "I miss you, Elder Sister. Let us bathe."

A rosy flush bloomed on Lin Qingxue's fair cheeks. Shyly and softly, she murmured, "My lord should consummate our marriage with Xiaoxue as well."

Wei Fufeng turned his gaze toward Xiaoxue. He saw Xiaoxue lowering her head, her delicate hands clasped in front of her. She had blossomed into an even more graceful and poised young woman than before. He said gently, "Xiaoxue is still young. Next year, I will formally wed her."

"Xiaoxue is not young anymore; she can serve you alongside your wife," Lin Qingxue said softly.

Wei Fufeng smiled and ignored the remark, instructing instead, "Xiaoxue, I wish to bathe."

Xiaoxue softly acknowledged the command and left. With a sudden pull, Wei Fufeng drew Lin Qingxue into his embrace, lowered his head to press a kiss upon her hair, and whispered in a fiercely playful tone, "Talking nonsense. Later, when Xiaoxue is brushing your hair, I will punish you by making you dance. This time, I am going to plant my seed deep."

Orders concerning the military and administrative appointments of the Jiedushi's office were dispatched from Yuzhou. Upon receiving the official documents, officials were either transferred or promoted.

Zhang Wencheng was transferred to serve as the Prefect of Tanzhou and concurrently as the Commissioner of Military-Agricultural Colonies for Dongting Lake, taking charge of the agricultural development and colonization of the Dongting Lake Plain.

Under the Commissioner of Agricultural Colonies, there were eight garrison command headquarters. As the superior official of the garrison commanders, Zhang Wencheng could not interfere in the internal power of those military garrisons; he was only permitted to oversee and monitor their agricultural colonization progress.

Gan Fengchi was appointed as the Military Defense Commissioner of Xiangtan, becoming a pure supreme military commander. He could mobilize troops from various garrison commanders to deploy military defenses and launch offensives, but he likewise had no right to interfere in the internal administration of the garrison units.

...

The memorial petitioning for the establishment of the Yelang Protectorate General was dispatched in haste to Chang'an City and delivered into the hands of Prince Heng.

Prince Heng was greatly surprised upon reading it. He had never expected that after his younger sister went to Yuzhou, she would actually receive such courteous treatment from the Marquis of Fufeng.

The messenger stated that fine wine would subsequently be sent as tribute.

With foreign tribute coming in, Prince Heng felt comforted. Recently, his days had been difficult; many political factions had submitted memorials to the Emperor, impeaching the imperial princes for holding military command in violation of ancestral laws.

The memorials submitted by the three frontier garrisons of Guannei, in particular, carried an overwhelming deterrent force.

The so-called three garrisons of Guannei referred to Han Jian of the Tongguan Army, Li Maozhen of the Fengxiang Army, and Wang Xingyu of the Binhning Army.

Wang Xingyu was the Jiedushi ruling Binzhou, Jingzhou, Yuanzhou, and Qingzhou, with his territory lying north of the Fengxiang Army.

Wang Xingyu and Li Maozhen had allied for many years, acting as close as brothers and forming a unified military bloc to face external threats.

Holding the memorial, Prince Heng arrived at the Daming Palace to have an audience with Emperor Zhaozong. After paying his respects, he presented the document.

Zhaozong frowned upon reading it and said, "Could this be the intention of the Princess of Jiangcheng?"

"Perhaps it is the intention of the Jiedushi of Southern Sichuan. Your subject believes we may grant this establishment. The region of Qianzhong Dao is densely populated with barbarian tribes, and since ancient times they have been fickle, alternately rebelling and submitting.

The memorial states that the barbarian tribes operate under a hereditary chieftain system, whereas the Southern Sichuan Army practices bureaucratic governance. Establishing a Protectorate General will draw a clear boundary of rule and eliminate the barbarians' fears of an invasion by the Southern Sichuan Army," Prince Heng offered a lengthy speech, expressing his support.

Zhaozong looked at the document in silence. He was not averse to establishing a Protectorate General; the remote barbarian lands of the southwest had long ceased to be under the actual rule of the Tang dynasty.

The Yang clan, who occupied Bozha, had broken off contact with the imperial court long ago, ever since the outbreak of the Huang Chao Rebellion.

Thinking of the Jiedushi of Southern Sichuan, Zhaozong was reminded of the Fengxiang Army, which had become a thorn in his throat and a growing threat, growing ever more powerful.

Li Maozhen, the Jiedushi of Fengxiang, was arrogant and overbearing, pointing fingers at all matters concerning the imperial court, practically broadcasting that if the Emperor could no longer manage, he might as well surrender the throne to him.

"Your Majesty, appointing the Princess of Jiangcheng as Grand Protector can truly showcase the prestige of the imperial family," seeing that the Emperor remained silent, Prince Heng had no choice but to speak up again.

Zhaozong snapped out of his thoughts and said calmly, "Approved. However, they must pay an annual tribute of five thousand shi of grain. You shall handle the negotiations in your own name, claiming that you need it to maintain your army."

Prince Heng's heart relaxed. Changing the subject, he asked, "Your Majesty, what about the matter of impeaching the imperial princes for holding military command?"

"There is no need to worry overly much. You and the others need only wholeheartedly maintain your armies so that when the time comes, you can charge forward with valor," Zhaozong replied.

Prince Heng understood. After chatting idly with Zhaozong for a few moments, he withdrew from the Yanying Hall and returned to his estate. He summoned the messenger and told him that he required an annual tribute of five thousand shi of grain to maintain his army, instructing the messenger to return and ask if this was acceptable.

To his surprise, the messenger stated that he could agree on behalf of his master, provided they promptly obtained the imperial edict allowing the Princess to open a mansion and establish administrative offices, along with a soothing imperial edict granting her official posts of the third rank and below.

Furthermore, they requested the Seal of the Grand Protector, the Seal of the Deputy Grand Protector, the Seal of the Grand General, the Seal of the Chief史 (Chief Historian/Secretary), the Seal of the Judicial Officer (Sima), and the seals for the left and right military commanders of Yelang.

Prince Heng was momentarily stunned, but brushed off his concerns, thinking that these were all nominal official posts meant merely to hoodwink the barbarians. He agreed without the slightest hesitation and personally ran another errand to urge the processing of the documents.

Four days later, five thousand shi of grain and one hundred jars of fine wine were delivered to Prince Heng's mansion.

The messenger stated that the three hundred jars of fine wine intended as tribute for His Majesty would need to be transported directly from southern Sichuan.

That very day, the imperial edict and official seals were delivered to Prince Heng's residence.

Prince Heng handed them over to the messenger, along with a family letter from the Princess consort. When the messenger had first arrived, he had delivered gifts to the Princess consort under the assumed name of the Princess of Jiangcheng.

Carrying the imperial edict and seals, the messenger left Chang'an City and hurried to Jinzhou to pay a visit to Wei Fufeng's grandfather, allowing the honorable elder to inspect the documents. Upon his arrival, the messenger also delivered a secret letter from Wei Fufeng to his grandfather.

Wei Fufeng explained to his grandfather the true purpose behind establishing the Yelang Wei clan, making it clear that it was by no means an attempt to sever ties with the Jinzhou Wei clan. He told his grandfather that should formidable enemies ever press upon their borders one day, he begged his grandfather to choose to relocate to the Yelang Prefecture.

Wei Fufeng implored his grandfather not to reveal the ultimate purpose of the Yelang Prefecture, lest it shake the morale and fighting spirit of the people; the Yelang Prefecture was merely a last resort for survival.

After inspecting the imperial edict and seals, the grandfather had the messenger take a secret letter back to Wei Fufeng. The content of the letter was simple: "The clever hare has three burrows; the Yelang Prefecture is very good."

Leaving Jinzhou, the messenger arrived at Badong and Kuizhou, where he displayed the imperial edict and seals to the local officials of Kuizhou.

The messenger informed Gao Yan, the Military Defense Commissioner of Kuimen, that the appointments in Badong did not fall within the jurisdiction of the Yelang Prefecture, but he was simply ordered to let the officials of Badong be aware of them.

Crossing the Great River from Kuizhou, the messenger reached Shizhou and displayed the imperial edict and seals to the military and administrative officials there.

From there, he proceeded to Yanzhou, Langzhou, Tanzhou, Shaozhou, displaying the imperial edict and seals all along the road to proclaim the legitimacy of the appointments made by the Yelang Grand Protectorate General.

Finally, returning toward Yuzhou, the messenger displayed them along the way in Qianzhou and Fuzhou before arriving in Yuzhou to make his final report.

Wei Fufeng began issuing official appointments using the seals of the Protectorate General: military officials used the Grand Protector seal, the Grand General seal, the Princess seal, and the Marquis of Fufeng seal.

Civil officials used the Grand Protector seal, the Deputy Grand Protector seal, the Princess seal, and the Marquis of Fufeng seal.

Appointment documents were dispatched to Tanzhou, Shaozhou, Yanzhou, Langzhou, Shizhou, Chenzhou, Xizhou, Qianzhou, Fuzhou, and Zhenzhou (where Tongzi County was located).

From then on, under the direct rule of the Jiedushi of Southern Sichuan, there remained only Rongzhou, Luzhou, Yuzhou, Rongzhou (Gongjing), Changzhou, Zhenzhou, and Nanzhou.

The Qianzhong Jiedushi was placed under the command and restriction of the Yelang Prefecture, and the status and rank of the Yelang Prefecture surpassed that of a standard Jiedushi.

Zhang Wencheng attained the official rank of Senior Fourth Rank, Senior Court Counselor (Zhengyi Dafu), and was appointed as the Prefect of Tanzhou and Commissioner of Military-Agricultural Colonies for the Dongting Lake Plain.

The Prefect of Shaozhou, the Prefect of Langzhou, and the Prefect of Yanzhou were all appointed as Junior Fourth Rank, Discussion and Counselors (Tongyi Dafu), ranking one grade lower than Zhang Wencheng.

Gan Fengchi attained a military official rank of Senior Fourth Rank and was appointed as the General of Loyal and Martial Valor (Zhongwu Jiangjun) under the Yelang Grand Protectorate General, serving as the Military Defense Commissioner of Xiangtan.

Gan Fengchi instructed his subordinate officials to respectfully address him as "General," disliking the title "Military Defense Commissioner."

Tian Wen, the Military Defense Commissioner of Wuling, became a Junior Fourth Rank, Sturdy and Martial General (Zhuangwu Jiangjun). Other military defense commissioners and unit commanders also obtained general military titles along with increased salary stipends, though these military ranks were not hereditary.

Subordinate civil and military officials further down the hierarchy likewise received official ranks—military officers obtained various captaincies, and civil officials obtained various grand counselor titles. In short, the greatest benefit for everyone was the addition of a regular salary.